KR2008 Alternate Storyline Episode 8
by SaiyaGirl1
Summary: Episode 8 - Lockdown: KARR finally contacts FLAG with his demands. He wants to trade David for Katherine, and David will do anything to prevent the Team from making the deal.
1. Chapter 1

**Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 8 – Lockdown**

Author's Notes: Welcome to Episode 8! I want to thank everyone who made it this far. We still have a long way to go and I hope to see you all at the Season Finale.

Recently, a very cool thing happened! I received 200+ hits in a single day for this Storyline! That makes me unbearably happy. As we are approaching 2000 hits for this month, I have been preparing a special treat for all of my readers. It will be launched when this storyline reaches 2000 hits for this month, which will be very soon!

Trust me, you all will love it! Now on to the episode!

**Chapter 1**

**January 2008**

F.L.A.G Underground Facility

Kat leaned back in the Driver's seat. K.I.T.T had just finished playing another video of when her brother, Sam was K.I.T.T's driver. "Wow KITT, you were really dead in the beginning, weren't you?" She commented.

"How do you mean?" K.I.T.T asked.

"Well, your voice was different for one thing. It was very mechanical. And the way you spoke was strange. You didn't even use contractions." Kat thought for a bit. "Sam really helped your personality along. I guess I'm a little spoiled." She smiled.

"Sam did help me a learn a great deal. Though I am still not convinced that 'ain't' is a word." K.I.T.T said. "But it wasn't just him. I learn from everyone on the Team. You as well, Kat."

"You have a lot of friends." Kat stretched her stiff arms out. "It must be such a burden, being so popular."

"You'll catch up." K.I.T.T replied.

"Where did you learn to sound so smug?" Kat asked.

"My voice is based off of Kevin's." K.I.T.T told her. "If I sound smug, you can blame him."

"Oh, I'm sure the smugness is all you." Kat laughed. "But I didn't know that your voice was taken from someone on the Team." She opened the Driver's door and stepped out, stretching her legs. "It's not weird for you? Someone running around here, sounding just like you?"

"I don't find it odd. Technically, I'm the one that sounds like him." K.I.T.T replied.

"Huh." Kat said, stepping off of the circle. She took a long look around the Main Lab. When she had first come here, over a month ago, this place had seemed so strange. An underground facility, closed off from the sky. She had been so unnerved without sunlight and fresh air.

Now, she was getting used to living underground. Her quarters didn't feel so cramped anymore. The Main Lab was a familiar place. K.I.T.T was a welcome sight, rather than one that set her on edge.

She still missed the sky, and flying, but that longing didn't feel so desperate anymore.

Could she ever really think of this place as home though?

********

The bonds on David's arms were cut free. He stretched them in front of him feebly. Loss of circulation had long since numbed the ache of the muscles, but now it was coming back with the blood flow, along with the feeling of pins stabbing every inch of his arms.

The unknown man placed a sealed bottle of water on the table in front of him. David didn't take it right away, though he was dying of thirst. He knew that his hands were still too numb to open the cap, and his pride wouldn't let him lose face in front of KARR by trying.

He stared at the laptop. "You've given up questioning me?" He asked hoarsely. "And now, you're keeping me alive. We're finally reaching the next step in your plan, I'm assuming?"

"You can still avoid all of this." KARR told him. "If you would just reveal Michael Knight's location to me."

David reached out and opened the bottle of water. He shook his head. "You know I'm not going to." He said, draining the bottle. He placed the empty bottle back on the table. "Warm, you're a terrible host."

"You are an ungrateful guest." KARR countered.

David looked amused. "You made a joke, good for you. I bet it's hard, being stuck inside that laptop. Charles' AI's are still the most advanced in the world, twenty years later. I don't think anything you can buy at RadioShack would be able to contain all of you. Is that why you sound so lifeless? So dead?" David placed his arms on the table and leaned forward. He gave the laptop a penetrating look. "Where's the rest of you?"

"You will die before you learn that." KARR answered.

"Want to make a bet on that?" David asked.

"I will give you one last chance, David Marks. Reveal Michael Knight's location."

David's face was impassive. "I won't tell you, KARR. It's not just him you want. You want Two Thousand as well."

"If I have one, then I will have the other." KARR answered. "Ideally, they will die together. If you will not deliver them to me, then I will have to trade you for someone who will."

"You mean Katherine." David said. "You're wrong. She can't tell you where they are. She doesn't know."

"Liar." KARR said. "They are related. If I have her, then he will come to me."

David shook his head. "I doubt he knows she exists. You're not going to win this way, KARR."

"Then I will have to settle for her bringing me KITT." The yellow light on the laptop went out.

Comprehension dawned on David's face. "Wait!" He said with sudden energy. But the laptop was dead. His hand clenched into a fist on the table. He turned to the unknown man. "Get KARR back here! He doesn't understand, it's not the same one!" The unknown man just stood there, emotionless. "You _knew_ it wasn't the same one!" He paused, his brow furrowed. "Didn't you?"

David straightened up in his chair and banged his fist on the table. "Why do I even bother talking to you?" He muttered.

********

F.L.A.G Underground Facility

"Okay, explain the 'circle-lowering-into-the-floor' thing to me. Does it have a functional purpose, or is it just showy sci-fi stuff?" Kat asked Pierce. "Why doesn't the tunnel just let out right into the Main Lab?"

"It's a security feature." Pierce explained. "If the tunnel led right to the main lab, then it could be breached. Even if we block it with something, like a door or seal, that could potentially be rammed through. The way we have it now, if someone drove into the tunnel, the platform would be raised, and they would have no access to the main lab."

Kat nodded, understanding. "Simple, yet impressive." She said. Pierce smiled. "Unless... someone does drive into the tunnel, then just sits under the lift. Then KITT can't get out." She pointed out.

Pierce leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "Ah, but when the circle lowers into the floor, the floor below it also lowers into a small circular room. Like a circular prison." He looked pleased.

"You're having too much fun with this." Kat teased him. "Okay. How about this? What if someone drives into the tunnel and when we lower the circle down to trap them, they drive about six feet back, kill KITT, then infiltrate the Main Lab?"

Pierce covered his eyes with his palm. "Oh, you just love being a nitpick, don't you?" He said, laughing. "If something ever enters the tunnel that is capable of killing KITT in seconds, we have a lot more to worry about than them getting into the lab. Besides, I like the circle. It has a certain class to it."

"I knew it, it's just for show." Kat said.

"Something's coming." K.I.T.T said suddenly.

Everyone looked up in surprise. The big screen blacked out. A yellow light ran across it.

"Again?" Kat asked incredulously.

"I'm on it." Ian said, hurrying to his desk.

"Wait." Charles said from above them. Kat looked up at him. He stood outside of his office, his hands clenched on the metal railing. "Let's see what he wants."

Kat looked back at the big screen. Apprehension sat deep in her stomach. As she watched, the yellow light paused, then began moving up and down like an equalizer display.

"I have you leader, David Marks." A deep, rough voice filled the entire Main Lab. It was dead and empty, not the vengeance-filled voice Kat had heard in her ear when K.I.T.T's CPU Core had been attacked. But Kat knew it was the same voice. A shiver went through her.

"It's using every speaker in the lab." Pierce said, his voice a mixture of amazement and horror.

"Except for mine." K.I.T.T said. "Ian is keeping me shielded."

"I'm only showing you how to do it." Ian said modestly. "You're the one doing the actual work."

"Shh!" Pierce shushed Ian sharply.

The voice continued. "I will return him to you if you deliver Katherine Knight to me before midnight tonight." A set of white numbers appeared on the black screen under the yellow light.

"Never." K.I.T.T said firmly.

Surprise crossed everyone's face. Pierce hurriedly typed the numbers into his computer. "They're coordinates." He announced.

Charles stared at the black screen. His blue eyes searched it as if reading a face. "How do we know that David is still alive?"

The black screen disappeared. David's image appeared on the screen. He was seated at a wooden table. "God, he looks awful." Carmen said softly.

It was true. David's white shirt was stained with blood. His skin was chalk white. His face was thin and haggard. His cheek was swollen and bleeding, and his bottom lip was split in two places.

He was leaning forward in his chair, staring at the camera with burning black eyes. "Do not make the deal, Charles. Do you hear me? Do... not..." David leaned back and rolled his eyes. "Aw screw it, you're not going to listen anyway. Initiate Protocol Alpha 87."

Red lights flared overhead. "Initiating Lockdown Procedure." K.I.T.T said mechanically. His red light went out, and his frame settled a few inches down, over his wheels.

The big screen went out. A warning siren blared. Loud echoing bangs could be heard all around. Kat had her hand on the metal staircase rail, and she could feel vibrations from the bangs under her fingers. "God dammit." Charles swore.

"What's going on?" Kat asked as people began working frantically.

"Lockdown." Charles explained grimly. "David has sealed us in."

Kat's eyes widened. She looked over at K.I.T.T. A screen flared to life on his windshield. A timer was displayed there. It read:

LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE INITIATED

Time until release:

06:23:59:32


	2. Chapter 2

**Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 8 – Lockdown**

Author's Note: Right after uploading the last chapter, this storyline reached 2000 hits! That's this month _alone_! To show my thanks I have created a website for my readers. I would like you all to visit the FLAG Database. ^_^

It can be found at:

flagdatabase. weebly. com

Just take out the spaces.

I hope everyone enjoys the site, it's still in beta, more and more information will be added as the story goes on. So check back often!

Right now I am gathering Memorable Quotes to put up. When you review, please tell me your favorite quotes from my series! Thank you again!

**Chapter 2**

F.L.A.G Underground Facility

"Okay, someone explain Lockdown to the newbie." Ian said over the din. "Pretty please?"

Charles headed quickly down the stairs. "It's only supposed to be used in the most dire of circumstances. David _knows_ that!" Kat looked at Charles in alarm. She had never seen him angry before, and right now he looked furious.

"The term 'Lockdown' leads me to believe that we are stuck down here, is that right?" Ian asked.

"Yes." Charles said, running a hand through his hair in agitation. "All of the exits to the surface have been sealed off, including the emergency tunnels. All communications leading outside have been jammed. We are completely cut off until the timer runs down, or until David personally releases us."

"Which he can't really do, being outside and in the bad guys clutches and all." Ian said. His expression turned worried.

"By 'timer', you mean the one displayed on KITT?" Kat asked, staring at the car's windshield.

"That's the one." Charles replied. His blue eyes were hard marble.

"But that's not going to run down for seven days." Kat said. "Why would David seal us in for that long?"

"He doesn't want us trading you for him." Charles answered grimly. He began speaking quickly as he paced around the Main Lab. "We'll miss the deadline, and KARR will kill him. And even if he doesn't kill him, you saw the shape David was in, he won't live like that for long. Certainly not a week." His voice became louder. "He doesn't have faith in us! That we can get him out without sacrificing Katherine. He's going to let himself _die_ because of that lack of faith!"

"Maybe he knows something we don't." Carmen suggested.

"Maybe he has a plan for escaping on his own." Ian put in.

"We can't wait around and hope, though." Pierce said urgently. "We have to disable the Lockdown."

Soon everyone was talking at once. Kat jumped in, reminding everyone that there was only fourteen hours left until midnight. Voices became fierce as the tension in the room heightened. One voice broke through the tangled conversations, making everyone stop at once and turn to the speaker.

"Charles, who is KARR?" K.I.T.T asked calmly.

Charles eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know KARR?" He asked in a shaky voice.

"You mentioned him, just now." K.I.T.T replied. "I don't think anyone else noticed. Who is he?"

Everyone looked at Charles. "KARR?" Kat asked in confusion. Everyone else looked just as confused.

"That's right." Ian said. "You did mention something like that. Is it a person?"

Charles rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "KARR has David." He said.

"But... who is he?" Kat asked.

Charles breathed in deeply, then let the breath out slowly. "I guess it's time for me to explain, " He turned his attention back to K.I.T.T. "You already know of your predecessor, the Knight Industries Two Thousand. You also have one more predecessor, KARR. His name stands for Knight Automated Roving Robot."

"KARR's a robot?" Pierce asked.

"Why is he called 'car'?" Ian asked, his eyebrows pushed together.

Charles held up his hands, quelling the questions. "KARR is an AI, originally placed in a car. Like KITT here, and the original KITT."

"Then, why does he have 'robot' in his name?" Ian asked.

Charles shook his head impatiently. "I don't know, it was Wilton's idea. He did most of the engineering for KITT and KARR, I just helped. That's not the point. KARR was destroyed by the original KITT."

"Then, how did he kidnap David?" Kat asked. "And why?"

"I can only think that his CPU Core survived somehow. That he's found a way of moving around." Charles said. "As for 'why', KARR has a very deep-seated grudge against FLAG..." He sighed again. "I'd better tell you all from the beginning. Some of the details are fuzzy, as I got this second hand, and it's been many years..."

********

"You think you are clever." KARR said to David.

David managed a weak smile. "Weren't expecting that, were you? They aren't going anywhere. Completely sealed off, and you are shut out. You'll never find where they are either. You should have known better. There's no way you'll win now."

"I have learned that it is not wise to let you speak so freely." KARR replied.

KARR's minion bound David's arms behind his back. David tried to fight him off, but he was weak from fatigue and hunger. After his arms were bound, duct tape was used to cover his mouth.

"Take him to the exchange site." KARR ordered. "FLAG is known for it's persistence. They may find a way to make the trade in time. If they do not, dispose of him. He has outlasted his usefulness." The laptop shut down.

********

F.L.A.G Underground Compound

While Pierce and Charles debated their options for escape, Kat walked over to K.I.T.T.

She placed her hand on his hood. Over the scan bar, which was dark. "You're locked down too, aren't you?" She asked softly.

"I am tied directly into the system here." K.I.T.T replied. "Most of my programs have been disabled, though all of my security features are still in place. I cannot move either. I can only communicate through the dental implant and one speaker on my hood. That is the full range of abilities I have available to me."

"That's it? You can only talk?" Kat asked worriedly.

"I have access to my own memory files, but no access to the Internet, or FLAG's database. I apologize Kat. I know it must be disappointing for you, that I can't be of any help this time."

"Hey, don't say that." Kat admonished him. "Us humans... we're a persistent lot. We'll find a way out of here and rescue David."

"There is still KARR to confront." K.I.T.T said. "It would be very unwise to go without me. We are not sure what form he is in. He has been getting help from someone, and we do not know who."

"I don't plan on going anywhere without you." Kat said simply. "And you talking to us can help. You're always so annoyingly calm. You can keep the rest of us sane, focused. You hear me?"

"You don't have to try to make me feel better, Kat." K.I.T.T said. "I don't have feelings that can be hurt."

"I doubt that. You have a pretty big ego, and those bruise easy." Kat told him. "Now cheer up or I'll have Angela come down here and hug you."

"I'll be good." K.I.T.T said dryly, his voice flat. "Just please, whatever you do, don't unleash _Angela_ on me."

Kat smiled. "Now there's the KITT we all know and love." She looked over at Pierce and Charles. They had their heads bent over a set of large paper blueprints. The computers had all been locked out of the database, so they couldn't access them that way.

Ian was off to the side, working on his laptop. "Internet's totally disabled." He said. "I _might_ be able to get it to work again, in a few hours. Someone will have to let me into Cold Storage though, so I can get to the server. I'm not allowed in there on my own." He looked over at Charles.

Charles looked up. "Right. Rei, take Ian over to Cold Storage, see if you two can get the network server up and running."

"I'm going with Rei?" Ian asked. His face brightened. "Sweet." He got up quickly, closing his laptop and tucking it under his arm.

Rei rolled her eyes. Kai glowered at Ian. Ian and Rei headed up the metal staircase leading to Cold Storage. "You do know that I am old enough to have babysat you, don't you?" Rei asked Ian pointedly as they disappeared through a doorway.

Kat wandered over to Charles and Pierce's table. She studied the blueprints as well. Enrique walked up and placed a box on the table. It was filled with small, black and yellow walkie-talkies. "All internal communications are down as well." He said. "Kevin told me to hand these out."

Charles and Pierce took one each, turning theirs on. Kat did the same and clipped hers to the pocket of her jeans. Pierce shook his head as he stared at the blueprints. "I can't make sense of any of this." He said. "David designed this all himself?"

"Using what Knight Industries had already built, years ago." Charles said. "The security system was all his, though." Charles pointed to the elevator on the blueprint. "Titanium seal, three feet thick. Here at the elevators, and at the three emergency exits, here, here, and here." He touched various spots on the blueprint.

Pierce rifled through the papers. "This looks completely tight." He shook his head. "David thought of everything. We can't get out, we can't contact anyone outside, not even Building B. Those guys must be going nuts."

"That's not like David." Kat said. "I think he would have left himself a way out, just in case. There has to be something."

"It's not on here." Pierce said. "And I don't know the ins and outs of the facility that well. I just work at my desk. We need someone who knows every inch of this place."

Charles put his walkie-talkie to his mouth. "Kevin, can you come down to the Main Lab? Over."

Kat listened closely to the response, but it was heavily garbled. "Sure thing, Boss. Over." Kevin said.

Charles looked at Kat and Pierce. "If David left a way out somewhere, his office is the first place to check. You two head up there while Kevin and I go over the blueprints."

Kat and Pierce nodded. They headed up the metal staircase together.

Kat opened the door to David's office. "Unlocked, how very un-David like." She commented.

"What are we looking for?" Pierce asked as they stepped into the office.

"I have no idea. Look for anything. Lockdown codes, a secret exit, anything that looks hidden."

"Knowing David, he's got secrets all over the place. This'll be like looking for a needle in a needle stack." Pierce muttered. He moved to one wall and began opening cabinets.

Kat moved over to the desk. She searched through all the drawers, then crawled underneath. She ran her hands all along the bottom, but found no hidden drawers, or catches, or even dust. She crawled out from under the desk and sat in David's chair. She looked around the room, trying to see if she could see something from his perspective.

"I have no idea what I am looking for." Pierce complained. "I'm no good at this kind of stuff."

"Pierce."

He turned to Kat. She lifted the corner of David's laptop slightly, giving him a pointed look. "Now that's something I know." He said, hurrying over.

Kat relinquished the chair to him and continued searching the room. She opened file drawers and rifled through them She pulled pictures and ornaments down off of shelves, looking them all over.

"He's got a folder here with your name on it." Pierce remarked. "It's passworded."

"It's probably a log of my mission reports." Kat said, unconcerned.

"What if it's nude photos, or something?" Pierce asked.

"Where would David get nude photos of me?" Kat asked as she searched through a curio cabinet.

Pierce shrugged as he typed. "I dunno, the shower?"

"I don't think there are cameras in the shower." Kat said. She peered into a small blue vase.

"We'll never know." Pierce said, his voice turning spooky.

"KITT says there are no cameras in the shower." Kat told him.

"Fine, ruin my fun." Pierce answered.

"How about this?" Kat said teasingly. "What if they're really nude pictures of you, but David renamed the folder just to throw would be hackers off?"

Pierce shivered. "Shut up. That sounds like something he might do." He said irritably.

Kat stifled a giggle. "This place is so clean." She remarked, peering under a small sofa. "What does David have against dust bunnies?"

"Don't talk about dust to a techie." Pierce said. "Dust is a computer's sworn enemy."

"I thought that was static electricity." Kat said as she ran her hands along the bottom of the sofa.

"That too." Pierce said. Something on the laptop beeped. "Hey, I'm on the network!" He cried in delight.

Kat hurried over to him. "Can you get online?" She asked.

"Nope, Internet is still down." Pierce said as he typed.

"Can you access the Lockdown protocol?"

"Yes." Pierce said in surprise. He frowned a second later. "It's asking for a password though."

"This is probably how David can disable the Lockdown." Kat said.

"Which does us little good, because he isn't here."

"Let's take the laptop with us." Kat suggested. "Maybe something on the database can help."

"Best idea I've heard so far." He closed the laptop and stood up. He looked around the office, which was in a kind of ordered shambles as Kat had moved everything around. "He's not going to like that you redecorated." Pierce said as they headed for the door.

"Don't worry, I'll tell him you did it." Kat said simply as they exited the office.

"Hey!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 8 – Lockdown**

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter wasn't up yesterday, everyone. I've been sick.

I've updated the FLAG Database, which can be found at: flagdatabase. weebly. com

Just take out the spaces.

I hope everyone enjoys the chapter! And I still need memorable quotes for the FLAG website. So please tell me what your favorite quotes are. ^_^

**Chapter 3**

F.L.A.G Underground Facility

Kat and Pierce hurried down the metal staircase. Pierce headed over to his desk and began hooking the laptop up to his computer.

Charles stood alone at the table with the blueprints. "Where's Kevin?" Kat asked. She had been looking forward to meeting the man who had given K.I.T.T his voice.

"He's examining the ventilation system." Charles told her.

Kat frowned. "It's odd how I've been here over a month and I have yet to meet this man." She said, a little irritated.

Charles gave her a confused look. "There are a few people that you haven't met yet. The Forensics Team and the Custodial Staff, for example."

"I at least know them by face." Kat said. "I've seen them around. I am wondering if this 'Kevin' is avoiding me."

"Now, why would I want to avoid someone as pretty as you?" K.I.T.T asked from right behind her.

Kat jumped and whirled around. A tall man stood behind her, giving her a quizzical look. "Where the hell did you come from?" She asked quickly.

His confused expression deepened. He half turned and pointed to the wall under the metal walkway. "The vent?"

Kat looked past him, at the vent set low in the wall. The cover was off and placed to the side. Kevin flashed her an easygoing smile and turned to Charles. "No can do with the vents, Boss. Maybe if you were a flea, you'd be small enough to fit outside."

Kat studied Kevin while he and Charles spoke. He was taller than she was, but shorter than Sam, who was a giant that she compared all tall people to. His hair was a pale orange color. It was short and messy, as if he had a habit of running his hand through it instead of combing it. His eyes were such a pale green they bordered on yellow. He was broad shouldered and fairly fit, from what she could tell. The pale blue coveralls he was wearing were a bit baggy.

Charles sighed heavily. "What else can we do?"

"My guys are working on the elevator seal." Kevin said. "They could prolly cut through with a thermal lance if you give em..." He thought for a moment. "Five, six hours?"

"Get them on it now, that will be Plan B." Charles said. "The coordinates KARR gave us are in Phoenix. The only way Kat can get there in time is in KITT. We have to find a way of shutting down the Lockdown."

"If I can get out, I could take the jet to Phoenix." Kat offered.

"You're not leaving without me." K.I.T.T said firmly from his circle.

"We still have to find a quicker way out." Kevin countered.

Kat looked over at Kevin, then back at K.I.T.T. It was true, their voices were exactly alike. The only difference was in how they spoke. "That's just creepy." She murmured.

She stared at K.I.T.T for a long moment. Something nagged the back of her brain. It wasn't the voice thing. It was something else...

"I think KITT might have a way out." She said suddenly.

Pierce, Charles, and Kevin stopped speaking and looked at her. She walked around K.I.T.T. "What am I missing?" She asked.

"I'm not certain." K.I.T.T said. "I am unable to move or help in any way."

"Yes, but there's something about you..." She crouched low, looking underneath. Then she smacked her forehead with the heel of her palm. "Duh! The _circle_!" She got to her feet. "Is that sealed off with titanium too?" She asked Charles.

Charles checked his blueprint. "No." He said in surprise. "The Tunnel is clear, if you can get down there..."

"But the Tunnel Entrance is controlled electronically." Pierce objected. "There is a manual button, but it's not functioning. The Lockdown prevents us from lowering the circle."

"No, Katherine's on to something." Kevin said. He headed over to K.I.T.T. "Excuse me, buddy." He knelt down next to the car and placed his hands on the concrete circle. He shook his head. "No, the edge is reinforced..." He said to himself. He crawled under K.I.T.T to the center of the circle.

After a moment, he crawled back out. "Its two feet in the center, at the most." He announced. "And easier to lance through than titanium." He grabbed his walkie-talkie. "John, Casey, forget the elevator. Bring the lances down to the Main Lab. Over." He turned to Charles. "If that's all right with you, Boss?" He asked.

Charles looked surprised. "No, it's fine." He assured Kevin.

"We'll have to move KITT out of the way." Kat said. "Are your wheels locked, KITT?"

"They are not." K.I.T.T replied.

Kat put her hands on his hood. "We're going to push you." She said, gesturing to her and Kevin.

"By yourselves?" K.I.T.T asked. "I don't think your chance of success is very high."

Kat gestured to Pierce. Kevin waved for Carmen. Soon the four of them were at K.I.T.T's hood. They began pushing all at once.

"KITT, you have to lose some weight." Kat puffed as she struggled against his hood.

KITT rolled very slowly. Pierce was panting with exertion before they were done. The others held up better, but it wasn't easy. They finally managed to push him clear of the circle.

Kat turned and collapsed on his hood. "Dear god." She gasped. "Are you made of lead? Solid lead? How can a _chemical_ make you so heavy?" She frowned darkly at Kevin, who didn't even look winded.

"That's the Molecular-Bonded Shell for you." Carmen said. She straightened up and cracked her back. Pierce just sat on the circle, trying to breathe. Carmen smacked his shoulder lightly. "Come on, get up."

Pierce shook his head. "I'm just going to sit here, maybe till I die..." He said weakly.

Carmen pointed to a pair of men in light blue coveralls heading towards them. One of them was wearing protective gear. "Those guys are going to use thermal lances to cut a hole right through where you're sitting." She pointed out.

"Okay, moving." Pierce struggled to his feet. Carmen grabbed him by the elbow and hauled him up. Then she released him and walked away. Pierce stepped away from the circle quickly.

Kat climbed up onto K.I.T.T's top to watch. She sat cross-legged. "Is this your wisest idea?" K.I.T.T asked. "The flare from a thermal lance can be blinding."

"Can you darken my contacts to a safe level?" Kat asked.

"Yes, I can still affect the eye-cams." K.I.T.T replied.

"Then we're golden."

Kevin laughed. "I can see who wears the pants here." He winked at Kat.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." K.I.T.T replied sourly.

Charles cleared the room while John and Casey got the lances ready. Kat watched as Casey knelt down in the middle of the circle, pulling on a pair of dark goggles. John slid a lance into it's holder and handed it to him. Casey held it out while John ignited the tip. Then he quickly stepped back.

"Eyes!" Casey shouted, touching the lance to the concrete.

Casey used the burning bright tip of the lance to cut into the concrete. He began cutting a circle in the center. He stood on the outside, and when one lanced was used up, John prepped another for him. A half an hour and five lances later, the circle of concrete fell through to the floor below with a resounding crash.

Kat clapped as Casey doused the lance. He removed a pair of dark goggles and grinned at John. "Easy."

John looked through the portal cut into the circle with trepidation, the space under the circle was completely dark. He doused the still hot edge with water. "Who's going down the hole?"

"I will." Kevin and Kat said at the same time. They looked at each other.

"I know how the machinery works down there." Kevin said. "I might be able to get the circle functioning manually. Then we can get KITT out."

Kat frowned. "Are we going to push him ten miles till we get out of the tunnel?" She hopped down from K.I.T.T's top. "Then what? Push him to Phoenix?"

"I might be able to get KITT working." Pierce said. Kat turned to him. "If I hook up David's laptop inside of KITT, I might be able to release him from the Lockdown."

Kat opened K.I.T.T's passenger's side door. "Be my guest."

"Okay." Kevin said. He walked over to John, who handed him a tool belt and a large flashlight. "I'll head down the hole."

"Wait for me." Kat said, walking over after Pierce had slid into K.I.T.T's passenger seat.

Kevin gave her a patient look. "It's a good sized drop to the floor below." He said. "It's probably best if you wait up here."

"I see where you got all that overprotective crap, KITT." Kat said. Kevin frowned at her.

"Don't bring me into this." K.I.T.T said. "I think you should go with him."

Kat turned and looked at him. "I'm shocked. How come?"

"Two reasons." K.I.T.T replied. "One, Kevin needs someone to hold the flashlight for him. Two, I want to know what's going on as well. You have no idea how blind I feel when I can't X-Ray everything around me or use my infrared."

"Hey, humans don't have that stuff, and we survive." Kat said.

"How can you stand it?"

Kat rolled her eyes skyward. "Okay, bottom line, I'm going."

"I guess I can't argue with the talking car." Kevin said ruefully. "I'll head down first, I'm taller." He moved to the hole in the circle and lowered himself in. He hung on to the edge by his hands before dropping the rest of the way down.

Kat heard him land with a grunt. "All right. Come on down." He said, turning on the flashlight. He placed it on the ground next to him.

Kat looked down as she sat at the edge and lowered her legs into the hole. The drop was pretty deep. "Maybe not one of my best ideas..." She muttered.

"No worries, I'll catch you." Kevin said, holding his arms up.

Kat stretched her full length downwards, holding onto the edge of the circle with her hands. Then she let herself fall.

She landed on her feet jarringly. Her teeth clenched together and she stumbled backwards. Kevin grabbed her around the waist and steadied her. He smiled at her crookedly. "Still alive?"

Kat stared at him for a moment, then quickly stepped back. "Of course." She said irritably.

Kevin bent down and retrieved the flashlight. "This is all yours." He said, holding it out to her.

"Are you sure I can handle it?" Kat asked, still sore from earlier. She took the flashlight from him.

He frowned at her. "I wasn't trying to make a crack earlier." He said. "I wasn't trying to say you couldn't handle this."

"Then what does it matter to you?" Kat asked.

"If you got hurt, it would bother me." Kevin explained. "You haven't noticed me around before, but I _have_ noticed you." He said matter-of-factly. He turned and walked over to the wall, where the mechanism that controlled the lift was.

Kat blinked a few times in surprise. "What did he say?" K.I.T.T asked through the dental implant.

"Nothing." Kat said quickly.

"Once I get back online, I am learning lip-reading." K.I.T.T said, sounding irritated. Kat grimaced.

Kat took a step back, till her feet were on the edge of the circle in the floor. This was the circle that lowered into the chamber below when the upper circle lowered down to this level. She directed the flashlight beam to the wall in front of Kevin.

There was a metal panel set into the wall here. Kevin took a screwdriver from his tool belt and began removing the panel. "So, you know how to get this thing working?" Kat asked.

"I've never worked on it during a Lockdown." Kevin said as he set the panel aside. A mass of various colored wires was now exposed in the wall.

"So, what are you going to do?" Kat asked.

"I thought I would try the direct approach." Kevin said. He jammed the screwdriver into the mass of wires, hitting something in the back.

Kat felt the floor under her shift slightly. Her feet were on the absolute edge of the lower circle, half on and half off. The motion was extremely slight, so much so that Kevin, who was on the other side and fully on the circle, didn't notice it at all. It gave Kat the warning she needed though.

"Watch out!" She cried. She stepped forward and grabbed the back of Kevin's coveralls. She yanked him back, into the Tunnel, stepping off of the circle quickly.

The machinery holding the two circles gave out. The upper circle came crashing down, the lower circle falling into the space below. The sound was deafening.

Kat stared numbly at the spot they had both been standing on. Light poured in from above. John and Casey peered over the edge. "You guys all right?" John asked.

"We're alive!" Kevin yelled up at them. He turned to Kat. "Hey, thanks for the save." He smiled at her. "Come on, I've got it working now." He grabbed her hand in his and pulled her onto the circle.

"You're absolutely insane." Kat murmured as she followed him numbly.

Kevin didn't seem to have heard her. He released her hand and reached into the panel. "Lost my best screwdriver..." He said to himself. He pulled out a small black box, which was nearly destroyed. "Well, here's your problem..." He turned and grinned at Kat. "Should work fine now." He looked up at John. "Hit the manual button."

"Sure thing." John said and disappeared. A few seconds later, the circle slowly ascended, Kat and Kevin standing on it.

Kevin grinned at Casey. "Easy." Casey grinned back.

Kat escaped, walking over to K.I.T.T. "Any luck?" She asked.

Pierce leaned his head out the open door. "I think I can restore KITT's functions. He still won't be able to access the network though, so I hope the lift is working properly."

"Somewhat." Kat said weakly.

Pierce closed David's laptop and slid out of the car. He placed the laptop on the seat. A USB wire ran from it to under K.I.T.T's dash. "Okay, KITT, try rebooting."

K.I.T.T was silent for a long moment. Then the red light on his hood came on. His frame lifted up a few inches and the timer on his windshield went out.

Kat felt excitement build up in her chest as she watched him. "All right." She said, smiling. "Are you ready to go get David?"

"As ready as you are." K.I.T.T replied.


	4. Chapter 4

**Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 8 – Lockdown**

**Chapter 4**

F.L.A.G Underground Facility

"It's best to go in with a good plan." Charles said to Kat.

"We have no idea what the situation waiting for us will be." Kat said. "We don't even know if KARR has a form, or if he does, how powerful it is."

"Failing a _good_ plan," Charles continued. "it's best to go in with _a_ plan." Kat sighed.

"I think it's best if we don't reveal KITT." Pierce said. "That might set him off immediately. I'm under the distinct impression that he doesn't like you." He looked over at the car.

"I got the same impression when he tried to erase everything in my CPU Core." K.I.T.T replied.

"So, I'll have KITT go invisible a few blocks from the exchange site." Kat said. "Then I go and free David."

"Any idea on how you're going to do that?" Pierce asked.

"Not at all."

"Someone should go with you." Pierce said earnestly.

Kat shook her head. "No one here has the proper training. It will be a very dangerous situation, we can't risk anyone else getting hurt or captured."

"You don't have to worry, Pierce." K.I.T.T said. "I can protect Kat."

"I just can't help thinking..." Pierce said slowly. "that something terrible is going to happen." He looked down at the ground. "I don't think any good will come out of doing exactly what KARR wants us to do."

"There's nothing else we can do." Kat said. "We can't abandon David."

"I know." He looked up, directly at her. His blue eyes were pained. Kat looked away quickly.

Carmen walked over to the trio. "Knowing how David is, when Katherine gets there, KARR will beg her to take David back." Pierce smiled weakly. "I've just run a full diagnostics. KITT's functioning perfectly."

"Time to go retrieve our fearless leader..." Kat said. She walked over to K.I.T.T. He opened the Driver's door for her.

Kat slid into the seat and buckled her seatbelt. K.I.T.T drove back onto his circle. John pressed the manual button and they descended. The Tunnel lights were out, as the facility was still locked down.

K.I.T.T turned on his headlights and sped down the Tunnel. "The exit hatch will be closed." He told her. "The Lockdown prevents me from opening it. How shall we circumvent it?"

Kat thought about it for a moment. "Well, let's make destroying FLAG property our theme for today. Laser a hole in it."

K.I.T.T stopped a few feet in front of the exit hatch. He began cutting a hole into it with his laser. "David will certainly not approve of this theme."

"Well then, he shouldn't have activated the Lockdown." Kat said innocently.

"It's hard to argue with that logic." K.I.T.T said. "Though I hope I am excepted from the 'destroying FLAG property' list." He finished his laser cutting and a large section of the metal hatch fell down into the Tunnel.

"Of course." Kat said as she stepped on the gas. "You don't belong to FLAG anyway." She drove over the metal piece and out onto a dirt road.

"I know David will disagree with you there. He holds my deed and title." K.I.T.T said.

"Doesn't matter." Kat said, shrugging. "You belong to me. KITT." She shot the stereo a look. "Going to object?"

"Of course not."

"Good." Kat said, turning her focus back to the road as they drove up onto the highway. "You really don't have much choice anyway." She glanced over at the laptop on the passenger's seat.

"Pierce inputed the GPS coordinates that KARR sent us into David's laptop." K.I.T.T supplied helpfully. He brought up a screen on the windshield. It displayed an address. "We are heading to Won's Chinese Restaurant, in Phoenix."

"Hmm." Kat said. "That's an odd location for a kidnapping exchange. You'd think KARR would pick an abandoned warehouse, or a parking garage."

"Or a deserted loading dock." K.I.T.T added.

"Yeah." Kat agreed. Then her eyes narrowed. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Well, you are being horribly cliché." K.I.T.T replied.

Kat frowned. She decided that changing the subject would be best. "I wonder who's helping KARR." She said. "He has to be getting help from someone, someone with money."

"They must also have access to very sophisticated technology, to allow KARR to travel through the Internet."

"That guy that attacked us can't be it." Kat said. "He's more of a grunt, a minion."

"A henchman?" K.I.T.T suggested playfully.

Kat glared at the stereo. "Stop that." She went back to her musing. "Well, maybe David knows something." She said at last.

The highway then connected to an expressway going to Phoenix. Kat noticed that it was becoming increasingly congested with cars. "It's not even rush hour yet." Kat complained. "What's with the traffic?"

"Scanning radio waves." K.I.T.T said. After a moment he spoke again. "It appears there has been an accident about half a mile down. One lane is under construction. A car went out of control and drove into a bulldozer. They are saying that the driver was asleep at the wheel."

"I'm glad that'll never happen to me." Kat said. "Not with you around, at least." She pulled to a halt behind a long line of cars. "I'm not really in the mood to sit and wait for traffic." She told him.

"We still have several hours until KARR's deadline." K.I.T.T reminded her.

"Yeah, but do you really want to leave David in his clutches for much longer? I doubt he's being treated very kindly."

********

David hit the floor hard. He lay still for a long moment. The linoleum was cool under his bruised cheek. Finally, he stirred.

"You're not supposed to move." A rough voice said over him. He looked up just as a rather large man buried a heavy boot into his stomach.

The air rushed out of his lungs. He wrapped his arms around himself protectively and just lay curled up on the floor. He focused on trying to breathe again. The man walked away.

David opened his eyes after a moment and inspected the men that had brought him here. There were three in all. He had assumed that they were all mercenaries, but the one who had just assaulted him was wearing a work uniform under his jacket. David could make out two letters in red on the chest: R.O. The rest was hidden by the jacket.

The three men exited the room, flipping off the light switch. The last one closed the door behind them. David heard a deadbolt slide home.

David lay on the floor in the darkness, too weak and pained to move. Thankfully, he wasn't conscious very long.

********

"Movement appears to have been halted while they let in the ambulance." K.I.T.T announced.

Kat was slumped against the steering wheel, a bored expression on her face. "Millions and millions of dollars they poured into you..." She muttered. "Defeated by traffic."

'Defeated?' K.I.T.T thought indignantly. "Hardly." He said. He would show her that something as mundane as a traffic jam was no match for him. He was, after all, far superior than any of the other tin cans stuck on this highway.

"Up ahead is the site of the accident. Off to the side of the construction area is a narrow gap between the equipment and the barrier on far side." His windshield zoomed in on the area in question.

Kat raised an eyebrow hopefully. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Well, David would probably have something to say if we didn't even test one piece of technology while on his own rescue mission." K.I.T.T pointed out.

Kat sat up slowly. "That is so true... He'd really bust my chops about it..." She said. She put her hands back on the wheel and turned out of the line of traffic, towards the construction area. She headed right for the gap. "KITT, Ski Mode."

K.I.T.T went up on two side wheels. He took over steering, weaving effortlessly through the narrow gap.

Kat sighed wistfully. "I wish I could see the looks on the other driver's faces back there."

Camera feeds flared up in the windshield, showing the other cars behind and across from them. Kat could see several people leaning out their windows, staring at her car.

"You have cameras on your top?" Kat asked.

"My underside as well." K.I.T.T informed her. "I have twenty-eight cameras embedded into various spots of my exterior." Once they were past the obstructions he settled back down to all four wheels. The expressway was clear ahead for miles. Kat stepped on the gas.

"How many do you have inside?" She peered around the interior, but couldn't see anything that looked like a camera. She knew that there had to be at least one though, from watching videos of Sam.

"Fourteen." K.I.T.T replied.

Kat looked surprised. "I hope you've been getting my good side." She said.

"Your only 'bad sides' are figurative ones." K.I.T.T replied.

Kat narrowed her eyes once more at the stereo. "....Thanks. I think."

"What is the plan for extracting David from his potentially lethal situation?" K.I.T.T asked.

"I was thinking of walking right in there and handing myself over." Kat said.

"That is a plan?" K.I.T.T asked.

"Yep. KARR apparently wants something from me. While I keep him distracted, it will give the authorities enough time to arrive."

"The authorities that I will be contacting, you mean." K.I.T.T said.

"Yep." Kat said again. "In fact, you should be calling Karen Summers right now. I'm sure she'll muster up some FBI support in Phoenix to save her husband."

"Ex-husband." K.I.T.T reminded her as he made the call.

"Yeah, I wonder what he did to make her leave him." Kat pondered. "She

"You are assuming it was Agent Summers that ended the marriage?" K.I.T.T queried.

Kat shrugged. "I'm guessing. I suppose David could have been the one to end it. Hopefully Karen is willing to help us out. I think KARR might be expecting us to call in the local authorities. He might not know we have an FBI Liaison."

"If KARR feels cornered in any way, I don't think David's life will mean anything to him. Speaking from the logical standpoint of another AI."

"Which is why the authorities will come in _after_ I have a look at the situation." Kat said.

"You're putting yourself at extreme risk." K.I.T.T said.

"We don't have much choice, if we want to get David back alive." Kat said grimly. "Unless you have a better idea?"

"I could always locate David's heat signature on the infrared, drive through the building's wall, retrieve him and then drive away." K.I.T.T responded promptly.

"And then what?" Kat asked. "Wait for KARR to attack us again? To kill someone next time?" She shook her head. "We have to find a way of stopping KARR for good. If we play this by KARR's rules, then we might be able to get some info on who's funding him."

"You're right, of course." K.I.T.T said. His voice was dull.

"You don't like it." Kat said.

"How can I?" K.I.T.T asked. "You do realize that the unknown man is in league with KARR, don't you? That means that this rogue AI is responsible for Sam's death. And here I am, handing him another Driver..."

"You'll be there, KITT. I'm sure you'll make sure nothing happens to me or David." Kat assured him.

"I wasn't there for Sam." K.I.T.T said.

"Why is that?" Kat asked. "You never told me where you were when Sam died. Judging by the way you keep tabs on me all the time, I expect you would have noticed immediately that something was wrong."

"I wasn't functioning properly at the time." K.I.T.T answered. "I had to be shut down."

Kat's expression grew concerned. "What happened?"

"On my last drive with Sam, something went wrong. Multiple errors sprang up in my programming suddenly. I couldn't function. Charles shut me down while he and Pierce attempted to discover what the problem was. They removed my CPU Core, to inspect it directly. I was completely offline for two weeks. When I awoke... Sam was dead, and Charles was telling me that I had a new Driver..."

"No wonder you hated me so much." Kat said quietly.

"I am incapable of hate, Kat. I was confused. Everything had changed so suddenly, become strange and unfamiliar. My apologies for my behavior at the time."

Kat shook her head. "You already apologized. And I kind of deserved it. What was it that went wrong? With your programming I mean, of course Charles fixed whatever it was."

"He didn't." K.I.T.T said. "He never discovered what caused my errors. He took my entire CPU Core apart, but could find nothing wrong. It hasn't happened since then."

K.I.T.T fell silent. Kat continued to drive, lost in her own thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

**Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 8 – Lockdown**

**Chapter 5**

About two hours later, Kat was in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona. The sun was just beginning to set. A few blocks from the restaurant, they pulled into a small parking space in front of a semi. It was a tight squeeze, but K.I.T.T handled it perfectly.

Kat opened her glove box. As always, Carmen had not let her down. She found a miniature med-kit in a flat vinyl case. This she zipped up into the inside of her vest. With the vest zipped closed, you couldn't tell she had it. She put on her watch and switched to a fresh set of contacts.

Kat opened the door and stepped out into the street. She shut the door behind her. "Okay, go invisible." She said as she walked around his hood to the sidewalk.

"Initiating Cloaking Program." K.I.T.T said in her ear. He faded quickly from view.

Kat glanced around quickly, but no one appeared to have noticed anything strange. "I love large cities." She said as she turned and walked down the block.

A small screen came on in front of her eyes. It showed a diagram of the area around her, from overhead. A red dot flashed at one of the buildings. "Turn left at this corner." K.I.T.T told her. She turned the corner. "Walk straight down for two and a half blocks, it will be in the middle of the block, on the left side."

Kat soon found herself in front of Won's Chinese Restaurant. A shutter was pulled down over the large front window. The shutter over the glass door was half raised. The sign in the door announced the restaurant as 'closed'.

Kat ducked under the shutter and tried the door. It swung open inwards. She looked around quickly as she stepped inside, but the seating area was deserted. She decided not to announce her presence, instead opting to check the area out first.

She walked slowly through the tables, towards the counter in the back. The lights were all out, the only illumination coming from the window in the front, which was covered by the shutter. The weak sunlight was fading fast.

As Kat approached the counter, K.I.T.T adjusted her night vision accordingly. She could make out a black shape sitting on the countertop. She stopped advancing. "Hello KARR." She said.

A yellow light flared quickly on the dark laptop screen, settling into the familiar equalizer display. "Greetings, Katherine Knight." KARR said dully. "I expected you to have arrived an hour earlier. Your predecessor would have already defeated me by now."

"I'm still here well before the deadline." Kat said warily. She continued to look all around, but saw no one else. She didn't move closer to the counter. Her left hand crept over to her watch, just in case.

"Indeed." KARR assented. "Because of that, your leader is still alive."

"Where is he?" Kat asked.

"I will tell you that, once you give me what I asked for."

"You wanted to trade me for David." Kat said. "Well, I'm here. Let him go."

"You are only useful to me if you have the information I seek."

Kat gave the laptop a long look. "You want information? That's it?" She asked, disbelieving.

"There are many things I seek. Information is all I want from you. I wish to know the whereabouts of your uncle, Michael Long."

Kat blinked in surprise. "Michael Long? Why do you want to know about him?" She became suspicious. Was K.A.R.R trying to stall with ridiculous questions?

The laptop was quiet. The yellow light flowed back and forth across the screen.

Kat decided to humor the evil A.I. "My uncle died when I was a baby. You'll find him next to my father at Calvary Cemetery, in Los Angeles." She answered. "All the Longs are buried there, if you're looking for any of my other dead relatives." She was becoming angry. Was the whole point of this just so K.A.R.R could jerk her around?

"You speak honestly." K.A.R.R said. "I can see that you know nothing. You are no longer useful to me."

"Now what? You kill me like you killed Sam?" Kat asked.

"I did not kill your brother." K.A.R.R stated. "Nor shall I waste the effort to kill you. Your leader is in the back room. You are both no longer needed." The laptop went out.

"Something's definitely up." Kat said to K.I.T.T.

"I agree," K.I.T.T said in her ear. "The unknown man has just appeared in my area. He seems to be alone."

"He's probably looking for you, but he won't find you if you stay put. Just stay invisible until I get over there with David. Move only if you have to, and be careful not to hit anyone. It's not their fault they can't see you." Kat told him as she moved to the door behind the counter. She checked behind the counter, her watch raised, just in case of an ambush.

She inspected the door. It was of sturdy construction, with a spring by the bottom hinge that prevented the door from being left open. The deadbolt locking the door was freshly installed. She reached up and slid it back.

She opened the door carefully, still anticipating a trap. No one jumped out at her. The room on the other side of the door was dark. K.I.T.T brightened her night vision again. She could see that this was a storage area. Someone was lying on the floor by a row of shelves.

Kat reached for the light switch on the wall. She flipped it, but the lights did not come on. "Oh well." She muttered.

She walked deeper into the room. The door closed behind her. She walked over to David. She looked around one last time before kneeling down next to him.

He lay on his side, one arm over his face. She moved his arm out of the way and checked his pulse. He was still alive, but his breathing was weak and shallow. "David, wake up." Kat said urgently. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "David!"

She slapped him hard across the face. Finally, he stirred. His eyes searched around vainly in the darkness. Then he covered his face with his hand. "Oh, you stupid woman..." He groaned.

"Your gratitude stuns me." She said dryly.

"I told Charles not to make the deal." David muttered weakly.

"Did you really think we were just going to let you die?" She asked him.

"You would have if you were smart." David said. "Charles always was a sentimental fool."

Kat frowned. "You're going to have to get over your whole martyr thing David. I wasn't going to let you die just to save myself."

David shot an incredulous look in her general direction. "You think that I would 'sacrifice' myself for _you_?" He asked. He tried to laugh, then groaned when the movement hurt his chest.

His voice turned grim. "You're such a fool. Did you really believe for one second that KARR is interested in either of us? We're just stepping stones to what he's really after. And you just played right into his hands."

Kat went very still. "KITT?" She called to him.

"Kat! You have to get back here!" K.I.T.T said urgently. "It's-" His sentence cut off suddenly. At the same time, her night vision failed. Darkness closed in all around.

"KITT?" She asked. "Are you all right?" There was no response. "KITT!"

Kat listened for a long moment, but there was only silence. "What happened?" David asked.

"I don't know." Kat answered. "He just cut out on me. My night vision is gone too."

David swore. "KARR might have found a way to suppress the signals. We need to get out of here. Now."

"KITT, if you can still here me, we're on our way." Kat said.

"Did you bring a med-kit?" David asked.

"Sure." Kat unzipped her vest and pulled out the vinyl case. "What do you need?" Her movements were quick, even it the blackness. She was anxious to get back to K.I.T.T. She knew that K.I.T.T was fairly capable of defending himself, but Kat did not like the fact that the unknown man was nearby.

David's voice was becoming faint. "Should be a syringe..."

Kat felt through the med-kit and found a single ampule among the various first aid bits. She pulled it out. "How can I be sure this is what you need?" She asked.

"Should be the only one..." David mumbled.

"Okay. Where do I stick you?"

She started as David took her hand in his. He brought it to his chest, over his heart. "Here."

She felt him reach up and fumble with the button on his shirt collar. She pushed his hands away impatiently and ripped open his shirt. The buttons popped off, hitting the linoleum. "We can't hang around here much longer." She muttered. She pulled off the ampule cap with her teeth as she felt for the spot over his heart. She stabbed the needle into his chest and pushed the plunger down.

********

Minutes earlier...

K.I.T.T watched as Kat headed down the block and turned the corner. He finished giving her directions, then waited for her return.

He kept tabs on her through the eye-cams while she went through her encounter with K.A.R.R.

Michael Long? He searched through his files, but found no mention of that name. Why was K.A.R.R interested in this man?

He would normally search online next, but he did not want to encounter K.A.R.R if he connected to the Internet. Ian had shown him how to keep invaders out of his CPU Core. But K.A.R.R had twenty years more experience than K.I.T.T did. Even if K.I.T.T was the more advanced, K.A.R.R had probably learned many things over two decades.

He passed the time watching the people around him. Most of them just walked around, going about their business.

K.I.T.T was fascinated by people in large groups, which wasn't something he had a lot of experience with. There were so many, yet each one was completely different. Unique in appearance, motives, and functions.

The unknown man turned the corner then, heading in K.I.T.T's general direction.

"Something's definitely up." Kat said.

"I agree," K.I.T.T responded to her. "The unknown man has just appeared in my area. He seems to be alone." He listened while Kat give him instructions not to move unless he had to.

He began running a scan on the man. If he stayed in the area long enough, K.I.T.T would be able to take a detailed X-Ray of his facial bone structure. Then he could use that to compile an image of what the man's face used to look like. He would be able to use that image to finally discover the man's identity.

The unknown man was wearing his trademark sunglasses. For some reason, they were disrupting K.I.T.T's scan. He concluded that they were either made from a material not normally used for making sunglasses, or they were giving off a scrambling signal. It's disruptive properties made him unable to identify which.

The man stopped right next to K.I.T.T's passenger side door. He was looking down the block. K.I.T.T was still cloaked, but the man was less than two feet away, which made him suspicious. K.I.T.T's first response would be to tranquilize him, but he had more programming restraints now. He had to ask Kat first.

He was about to send a message to her when the man reached one hand out to the side. K.I.T.T saw that he wasn't wearing his usual black leather gloves now. The man touched the door handle.

The door immediately unlocked.

Shock flooded K.I.T.T's CPU Core. He knew. Suddenly, in one millisecond, he knew who this man was.

"Sam?" K.I.T.T asked, his surprise reflected in his voice.

He also knew that something was very, very wrong.

He contacted Kat as Sam slid into the passenger's seat, pushing David's laptop to the side. He shut the door. "KITT, initiate Unlocking Protocol." A screen flared up on the passenger's side window.

"Kat! You have to get back here!" K.I.T.T told her urgently.

Sam placed his hand on the screen. "KITT, disable Safety Mode."

K.I.T.T's com link to Kat was immediately cut off. He was visible again. His weapons were all useless now. He couldn't move. He was completely vulnerable.

"Sam, why are you doing this?" K.I.T.T asked. "Why would you hurt Kat?"

Sam pulled a black rectangle from his leather jacket. "KITT, shut up." He said as he pressed the tazer into the stereo.

There was a sizzle and several loud pops as electricity overloaded his CPU Core. K.I.T.T had several backups installed in his systems in case of power surges. Those activated now and he promptly shut down, protecting his CPU Core.

********

Kat watched as David's body twitched once violently. His breathing sped up, became heavier. After a moment he sat up.

"What's in this thing?" Kat asked, meaning the used ampule. She tossed it aside and helped David to his feet.

"It's a drug Knight Industries has been developing." David answered, his voice sounding much stronger than it had. "It's a mixture of adrenaline and morphine. It's purpose is to help wounded soldiers to get out of combat zones. We call it a 'stim'."

"From my limited knowledge, morphine and adrenaline don't really mix well. Isn't morphine a depressant?"

David walked over to the door. "Stims have a few other things in them." He said evasively, feeling around for the door. He found it and tried the knob. It turned, but someone had replaced the deadbolt while Kat was tending to him. "Help me with this, it's locked."

Kat joined him at the door. A few of David's ribs were cracked, but that didn't stop him from ramming his shoulder into the door with as much force as he could.

He took a step back, and Kat threw herself shoulder-first into the door. Then David went again. They alternated like that, settling into a rhythm. The door creaked and groaned under their assault, but was slow to break.

Finally, they managed to force it open. The sun was almost completely set by now. The last few rays lit the restaurant dimly.

Kat past the counter. The laptop was gone. David leaned weakly against the door frame. Kat turned and went back to him. His face was ashen. "No, go on." He said breathlessly, trying weakly to push her away.

Kat took one of his arms and pulled it over her shoulder. She helped him stumble out of the restaurant. Once they were outside, he seemed to recover some. He took his arm back at least. "Where did you park Three Thousand?" He asked.

"A couple of blocks that way." Kat pointed.

"Go on, I'll catch up." David told her.

********

Once K.I.T.T was shut down, Sam opened the door and tossed out David's laptop. It hit the sidewalk with a crunching sound that would make a techie flinch. He bent down, feeling under the dash. He ripped off a panel and reached into the exposed circuitry.

He yanked out a tiny black cube and tossed it after the laptop. Then he stepped out of the car and shut the door.

The semi behind K.I.T.T was busy turning around. Once it was done, the door slid up. A man slid a wide, flat piece of metal out the back, till it touched the street. Half a dozen men walked down the makeshift ramp, towards K.I.T.T.

They gathered at his hood and began pushing him towards the semi. They got him up onto the ramp, then halted. "God damn, this car's heavy." One of them complained. Sam helped them push K.I.T.T up into the back of the semi.

They pulled in the metal ramp. Sam hopped out the back and they lowered the back door. Sam fastened it closed and walked around to the front. He hoisted himself up into the driver's cab.

The semi rumbled as the engine started. Then it drove off.

Kat turned the corner barely a second later. "KITT?" She called. She reached the spot where she had left him. Her heart thudded in her chest. Her breathing was quick.

K.I.T.T wasn't here. She knew it. If he were here, he would have responded.

Kat walked right through the spot where he had been, searching with her hands. There was nothing but empty air. "KITT!" She shouted, panic rising up in her chest.

He didn't answer.

"KITT!!" She screamed, long and desperate.

He was gone.


End file.
